ABSTRACT
The ubiquitous illicit use of androgens and anabolic steroids taken in doses beyond their therapeutic value for nontherapeutic reasons, has contributed to an array of chronic toxic syndromes previously unrecognized in routine treatment. Behavioral, supportive, and educational programs are indicated to prevent and manage the growing adolescent problem of steroid abuse. Medications used for treating steroid withdrawal aim at restoring hormonal balance, while others target specific withdrawal symptoms. Estrogens are secreted by the developing ovarian follicular cells as cholesterol derivatives in response to follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). FSH and LH are synthesized and released from the anterior pituitary in response to gonadotropin releasing hormone secreted by the hypothalamus. The principal clinical uses of progestational agents are mostly related to the maintenance of pregnancy or regulation of the second half of the menstrual cycle.
